400 OUR FISHES AND THEIR ENEMIES—AMBROSE, 
agricultural purposes. Hence also the so-called mussel mud-beds 
of P.E. Island. The remedy in these cases is keeping the 
catch equal with the production, after these old beds are cleaned 
out and re-planted. But over-fishing is rapidly destroying the 
productive beds. For this reason, as Inspector Duvar reports :— 
“The oyster fishing in P. E. Island is in a deplorable state—over- 
fished in some places, and in others not producing enough. There 
are no regulations whatsoever, except a close season from Ist of 
June to 15th Sept., to prevent the ultimate ruin of the beds, as 
they are open to be fished by everybody, and private culture has 
not been encouraged. Reckless fishing and continual shell-digging 
threaten a ruin to the oyster-fishing similar to that which from 
over-fishing has befallen the lobster industry. . . . Itis time 
such profligate misuse of public resources should be checked. 
“The oyster beds of New York give 7,000 oystermen a per- 
manent living, and $6,000,000 is invested in culture therein. In 
the whole of Canada no one man makes his whole living from 
oysters, but less than 1,000 men give themselves occasional em- 
ployment in oyster-catching in a perfunctory kind of way, and 
the total annual product at $3 a barrel is no more than $187,580, 
of which P. E. Island provides $109,324.” 
As a remedy against these evils, Mr. Duvar suggests: “(1) to 
reserve certain natural beds for fishing by the public; (2) to 
offer liberal encouragement for full development of the fishery 
under private culture; (3) to plant new beds and re-plant old 
ones (cleared of their dead accumulations, as a preliminary neces- 
sity, we presume, and a benefit to agriculture); (4) these im- 
provements to be effected under efficient Government inspection, 
such as would guard against over-fishing and give leases from the 
Minister of Marine to plant, transplant or restock exhausted 
fisheries.” 
By the prevention of undue accumulation and consequent. 
smothering of the parent-oysters, the spat or spawn would have 
full opportunity of rising and attaching itself to the hurdles or 
other objects in its native locality, thus insuring the natural and 
rapid increase in such protected beds. The capital required for 
oyster culture is very small and yields an amazing profit, as the 
